Agenda for September 1 and 3

Readings for today
Strategic Reading (SR) chapter 1

Theories of Learning
Curriculum-Centered
Student-Centered
Community-Centered

Activity: Groups of 4. Situation = Your group is charged with picking from the "appeals of advertisers" and to create a scene in which you would teach one or more of the appeals to your students. In doing so, you need to demonstrate your understanding of at least two theories of learning. That is, what would it look like to teach these appeals to students using different theories of learning? The scenes can be short, maybe 30 seconds to a minute, but they should show what a curriculum-centered, student-centered, and/or community-centered classroom might look and sound like.

Reading our drafts of the literacy memoir with one another (Jim is emailing his feedback to you)
M/GAPS
What sticks?
What do you want to know more about?

Reading for next time ...
IRA position statement (here's the link to the .pdf)
Allen's pdf (sent via email)

September 3
Two major things we'll work on today. One is the literacy memoir. The other is our response and understanding of the two readings, Allen's chapter and the IRA position statement.

1. Jim reads a draft of his literacy memoir. As he reads, pay attention to two things. One, what sticks out? Two, what do you want to know more about? We'll talk and then he'll share what he was thinking as he wrote it and what he's thinking about doing next - including snapshots and thoughtshots.

2. Introduce and explain M/GAPS - How might we fill this in for our literacy memoirs?
M/G = Mode / Genre
A = Target audience
P = purpose of the piece
S = situation ( of the writing; and, of the writer)

3. Work in small groups to respond to one another's drafts.
What sticks?
What do you want to know more about?

We'll talk after about what we seem to think is important about literacy - including literature, composing, listening, participating, etc. - especially as or for adolescents?

4. Examining the IRA position statement and Allen's chapter - What do others seem to say is important about literacy, particularly when thinking about adolescent literacy?

To do this, we'll work in small groups and begin to categorize some of what we think. We'll do this in three categories ... We'll probably start with one of these texts and then move to the other (Allen and IRA statement)
  • Enduring understandings - that which we want students to know or be able to do in their lives, now and in the future, in and out of school
  • Important to know or be able to do - that which will help students gain those enduring understandings
  • Good to be familiar with - that which is helpful for students to be acquainted with